North of Scotland Archaeological Society

In July 2024, several members of NOSAS gathered in Orkney to visit a number of archaeological sites and ongoing excavations. In particular they enjoyed fabulous guided tours of the Ness of Brodgar (in its final season) and the Cairns broch in South Ronaldsay, as well as Swandro multi period site in Rousay and the wartime Battery at Stromness.

It was a very successful trip despite some challenging weather conditions. Thanks to all those who attended and to the local archaeologists who were so generous with their time.

More Digging at Tarradale! In Autumn 2023, the Tarradale Archaeological Team (TAT) reopened and extended a Mesolithic shell midden trench dug in 2017 (see blog post). Here, several important antler tools had been previously discovered which were dated to over 6000 years old. The 2023 excavation found a further antler "T axe" (right) - 3 out of the known 6 Scottish examples of this tool have now been found at Tarradale! Further excavation is continuing in 2024 on "the barns" and other post-medieval sites at Tarradale - see most recent results here. TAT is the successor to the highly successful Tarradale Through Time Project. The 2022 book can be bought online for £9.99.

See all of our recorded talks on our YouTube page, including recent lectures by Duncan Garrow and Stuart Jeffreys. In 2023 we celebrated 25 years of NOSAS  with talks by Adrian Maldonado of NMS about his research in the Pictish and Viking eras - see the video here - and Tony Pollard on the archaeology of Culloden Battlesite - see video, Tony also led a fascinating battlesite tour.

NOSAS's Crannog Project has investigated several sites recently - Loch Achilty and Loch Kinellan amongst them - and in September 23 members were busy on the Isle of Tiree. Read the most recent blog here. Timbers recovered from the Loch Achility crannog have recently been dated to the Medieval period, c. 1060 and 1350 CE, and we hope to dig there with the Nautical Archaeological Society in 2025.

Thank you Glen Wyvis Distillery Goodwill Fund for funding the repair of our map. The missing 1829 map of the Ord Estate, near Muir of Ord, was traced to Somerset and it has just returned to the Highlands. However, it is a little the worse for wear, so NOSAS has undertaken to get it repaired at the the Highland Archive. It will then be scanned, digitised, and uploaded to the NLS website.

See also recent Blog Posts on The Road between Dingwall and Poolewe, the archaeology of Petty Bay and its Saltwater Mill (read the report here), and the Prehistoric Cairns of Assynt.

NOSAS, along with the help of other organisations, has recently been clearing vegetation from two scheduled sites in the area - Carn Glas Chambered Cairns at Essich, near Inverness, and Teanagairn Henge at Culbokie. Read Jonathan's blog, BBC News and the Current Archaeology article.

In Nov 22 NOSAS returned to the distillery and settlement site at Mulchaich, Easter Ross (right), to remove gorse which was obscuring much of the archaeology. Subsequently, magnetometry and metal detecting surveys have been carried out. It is thought that Ferintosh whisky may have been produced at Mulchaich in the late 1700s, Read more.

NOSAS members ventured into upper Glen Cannich in Summer 2021 to visit an area normally submerged under the Mullardoch dam (right). They recorded a number of hut circles, amongst other features. These were recently radiocarbon dated to the Iron Age. Read the blog post here. 

Check out the posts on the NOSAS Blog - there's a huge range of articles. And visit our impressive Survey Reports Page where you can access over 20 years worth of past survey and project reports!

A previously unknown Pictish cross slab, discovered by NOSAS members near Conon Bridge, was unveiled at Dingwall Museum in December 2020. A successful fundraising campaign had The Conan Stone removed from its find site, professionally conserved and then installed on permanent display in the museum. The stone is now the subject of an MRes post graduate course at UHI. See the Blog Post, Conan Pictish Stone page and video.